Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 2603.25654

Wind-tree tiling billiards and their trapping strips

Abstract

We introduce a new dynamical system: the wind-tree tiling billiards. This system studies trajectories of a ray in Euclidean space which has a negative refractive index when encountering rectangular obstacles located at lattice points. We show that for almost every configuration of the system, trajectories with initial vertical direction are trapped in an infinite strip of the plane. This result is reminiscent of the propagation of light rays in Eaton lenses, as shown by Frączek and Schmoll.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Magali Jay. 2026-03-26. Wind-tree tiling billiards and their trapping strips. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.25654

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Pivoting technique for the circle homeomorphism group

We adapt Gou{ë}zel's pivoting technique to the circle homeomorphism group. As an application, we give different proofs of Gilabert Vio's probabilistic Tits alternative and Malicet's exponential synchronization.

math.DS

Optimal rates of uniform convergence for weighted Birkhoff averages via almost all rotations

In this paper, we investigate weighted Birkhoff averages for toral translations associated with compactly supported weighting functions. By introducing several new analytical techniques, we establish optimal uniform convergence rates for almost all rotations and specific (or even all) initial points. Unlike the $\mathcal{O}(N^{-1})$ rate best achieved in classical ergodic theory, we show that these weighted averages exhibit polynomial or even exponential convergence. We establish the optimality of these convergence rates in multiple aspects, particularly concerning regularity indices across four distinct cases: finite differentiability, the $C^\infty$ class, logarithmic $C^\infty$ classes, and Gevrey classes. Our results demonstrate that the regularity of the observable essentially dictates the convergence rate; furthermore, we prove that no admissible choice of weighting function can, in general, overcome the lower bounds imposed by this regularity. In contrast to the generically slow convergence of standard time averages, this work provides an optimal and nearly complete characterization of rapid convergence for weighted Birkhoff averages.

math.DS

Spectral theory of frame flows on closed hyperbolic manifolds

We prove a resolvent estimate for the generator of the frame flow on hyperbolic manifolds away from vertical lines of resonances. A byproduct of the proof is an optimal essential spectral gap property for the generator, hence giving another proof of exponential mixing of frame flows with respect to the volume measure of the frame bundle. This extends the result of [https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.08387v2] in dimension 3 to any dimension. We make extensive use of the Borel-Weil calculus developed in [https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.14846] to overcome difficulties of this higher-dimensional case.

math.DS